


This is the End

by orphan_account



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, My take, Tartarus is an evil place, The much abused seen ending of House of Hades, i feel proud of that, i posted this on tumblr and made several people cry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-08
Updated: 2013-09-08
Packaged: 2017-12-26 00:56:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/959687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love can make you do stupid things, huh Seaweed Brain? </p><p>Annabeth and Percy and how one made it out of Tartarus alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is the End

They had made it to the doors, and they could see the light from the other side. Annabeth knew it was just the light of a torch from the underground cavern at the Temple of Hades, but she didn't care, as long as there was light at the end of this tunnel, she was fine even if it was a firefly. Percy's grip tightened on her waist as he held her aloft. His sword in his other hand and his eyes behind them. Together they delt with the danger this way, her looking ahead while he guarded the rear.

 

She felt the beginning of a smile spreading across her face for the first time in what felt like centuries. They picked up their pace, whether out of habit of when bad things lurked just around the corner, or out of the feeling that they were finally going to get out of this place. Either way, they were moving, and she wasn't even breaking stride, ignoring the throbbing ache in her ankle.

 

As they approached the doors, several things happened at once. Annabeth saw the friends she hadn't seen since they had fallen into Tartarus. They were all there, Hazel's face was grave, and Leo's face was smiling while his eyes conveyed his worry. Jason was there, Piper by his side, the both looking like over bearing parents who just allowed their daughter to be picked up for prom by some low life.

 

Annabeth was so excited to see them that she missed what happened next. Suddenly, Percy's hand wasn't at her side anymore, and she wasn't in the never ending darkness. She looked back, realizing too late what had happened, Percy had thrown her out of Tartarus, fought off a monster, and was about to seal his fate by closing the Doors of Death, with her on the other side. 

 

"Percy!" She screamed, running back to him. "Percy, no!" She couldn't feel the arms holding her back, but she knew they were there as she ran to the opening. Percy smiled softly while a tear ran down his face. "Hey now Wise Girl, it's okay. I'll be fine." He whispered. She tried to reach out to him, tried to touch his stupid, idiotic face, but she couldn't. Once you leave through the Doors, you can't go back.

 

"No," she whispered as the Doors were slowly closing on the love of her life. Percy, his sword by his side, with his raggedy Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt and ripped up jeans, his eyes sunken from the hell they just went through. All of it was killing her, but not as much as that soft smile on his face and the acceptance in his eyes. "I love you." He told her, the Doors slowly obscuring his face.

 

She would never get to hold him again, never get to flip him over her shoulder, never get to tease him fully for wearing those silly purple Praetor robes. Despite herself, though, she found herself smiling a little too. "I love you." She told him, looking into those sea green eyes for the last time, and then the Doors of Death closed, locking in her boyfriend with the worlds largest supply of monsters.

 

Annabeth stared for a long time, before straightening up and marching to the outside. She ignored everybody else, even Frank, who was trying his best to be comforting. Annabeth marched onto the Argo II and went to work, because if she had to loose Percy, then she was for sure not going to loose to Gaea.

 

Jason clamped an awkward hand on her shoulder as he passed her by, Leo repeatedly stared at her over his shoulder while driving the Argo II to their next destination, Hazel tried to talk with her with Piper and Frank went to his bunk, possibly to cry or leave her to her own devices. And Annabeth knew what she had to do, she was numb. Numb numb numb numbnumbnumbnumbnumb.

 

She wouldn't feel anything right now, nor would she think. Especially about how when they were in that eternal nightmare they were the only things keeping each other sane, or about how Percy sacrificed himself yet again because of his stupid selfless self, or about how she, deep down, saw this coming and did nothing to stop it. She knew, deep in her heart that Percy wouldn't subject her to that living hellhole anymore than he could, despite what he said about never parting from her again.  
So she wouldn't think, not about anything but battle plans on how to tear Gaea a new one. She was numb, she was ice, she was crying silently onto her maps of Greece. Annabeth had just gotten Percy back after loosing him, and then she had to do those stupid Mark of Athena trials, where they wound up in Tartarus fighting for their lives every waking second, and then she lost him again. Just when, exactly, was her life going to start being fair? When would it work out the way that would benefit her in some small way?

 

Annabeth tossed the compass she was holding down and went to Percy's cabin. Not even Coach Hedge was saying anything to her. All the while she could feel the power radiating from the Athena statue, almost as if it was mocking her. She opened his bunk door to discover that everything was exactly how they left it, messy and totally Percy. She went over to his bed and laid down, curling up and acting totally unlike herself for this one night. She needed this, she told herself as she buried her face in his pillow, breathing in the smell of sea breeze and tropical shampoo.

 

Tomorrow, when she wakes up, her head will be on straight, she will kick some Earth butt and she will work on the getting Percy out of Tartarus thing, and all in that order. That night, dreaming about Percy, it was the night Annabeth felt the closest to him, because she understood why he did it, why he pushed her out of Tartarus. 

 

Love can make you do stupid things, huh Seaweed Brain?


End file.
